a. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to medical devices, and particularly to surgical implants.
b. Background of Invention
A vast number of surgical procedures require the application of one or more surgical incisions on the patient's body in order allow the medical specialist (e.g., surgeon) to access an area-of-interest. Moreover, in many instances, implant devices may be used to repair or replace an existing component of the body.
For example, in the field of ophthalmology, fracture and damage to the floor or wall(s) of the eye socket (i.e., orbit) as a result of trauma may necessitate the placement of an implant device over the fractured and damaged area.
However, it may be appreciated that generally, the length of the incision used to insert an implant may be proportional to the greatest physical dimension of the implant device needed to address the medical issue. For example, if an applied incision is too small, a requisite implant may not fit through such an incision.
It may, therefore, be advantageous to, among other things, provide implant devices that facilitate smaller incisions and consequently less surgical trauma, less chance for complications, and faster recovery.